Two communities in Kaduna State, Gnami and Pakau, have enjoyed two years of uninterrupted power supply, courtesy of the renewable energy initiative project of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing aimed at providing affordable and reliable access to electricity to rural dwellers through solar powered systems.

Members of the communities made the disclosure when delegates from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states visited the two communities to mark the end of their week long Regional Training Workshop on Improvement of Policy and Regulatory Framework for Clean Energy Mini – Grids and on the Renewable Energy Tariff Tool Box which took place in Abuja.

In his remarks during the visit, the Permanent Secretary (Power) in the Ministry, Engr. Louis Edozien, said the project was in line with the present administration’s drive towards providing access to electricity to rural communities that may not in the distant future have access to electricity due to distance from the national grid.

Edozien,who was represented by the Ag. Director, Renewable Energy, in the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yabo, was certain that with the renewed interest in solar and other renewables, more jobs would be created, pointing out that since the two communities were electrified, various types of artisan businesses have been springing up while new houses were being built.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), has been signed between Kano State Government and Dangote Group for the proposed 100MW Dangote-Black-Rhino Solar Power Plant which would be located at Zakirai Town in Gabasawa Local Government Area of the State.

The project, on completion will add 100MW to Kano State electricity supply which will also aid the State's economic potentials as well as boost the socio - economic activities of the people.

The power plant will be fully financed by Dangote Industries Limited and Global strategic partner, Black–Rhino and would convert abundant energy of the sun into high quality clean energy.

In line with Federal Government’s bid to make constant power supply available through alternative power solutions, a Private Sector power supply company, Simba Group of Companies, has introduced a new flexible and affordable payment plan, “Simba Simple – Pay” for its customers.

The new flexible payment plan is a customer financing scheme that empowers customers to procure Luminous inverters and batteries through convenient payment terms without the burden of bulk payment, but enables willing customers pay in installments.

Following its conferment with the Centre of Excellence, (CoE) in Training for the Power Sector in Africa,the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, (NAPTIN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, (MOU), with the Association of Power Utilities in Africa, (APUA),aimed at developing capacity in power utilities across the Continent.

As a member of the African Network of Excellence in Electricity (ANCEE), some of the benefits accruing to the Institute include sharing knowledge and best practices with other CoEs,particularly in the western and southern parts of Africa, increase in its offered courses and being at a vantage position to attract foreign direct investment through training patronage from other African countries at the instance of APUA, which will enable it to upgrade its training facilities and increase the quality of training in line with international best practice.

Other benefits accruing to it as a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in training for the power sector in Africa also includes eligibility to tap into a €13 million training fund set aside by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and French Development Bank for capacity development of power firms in African countries.

Reacting to the development, the Acting Director General of NAPTIN,Ahmed BolajiNagode, described it as a unique achievement which, according to him, “didn’t come on a platter of gold to the Institute”, assuring that NAPTIN would make the best use of the opportunity granted it byAPUA.

Nagode, who expressed optimism that the MOU would further open up NAPTIN to cross fertilization of ideas with other professionals in power utilities across the Continent while also enhancing the Institute’s revenue base, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government and the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing for supporting the institute in attaining its present professional feat.

In his reaction also, the Director General of APUA,Abel Didier Tella, underscored the importance of manpower development in the area of power utilities, particularly in Africa, saying he was certain that NAPTIN ,”with requisite human and material resources”, would live up to expectation in the newly assigned task.

According to Tella, “the Institute’s rich faculties, with eight fully equipped training centres across the six geo political zones of Nigeria, offering about fifty professional courses in electricity generation, distribution and transmission, will not only provide the needed training but will be a catalyst to the overall development of the power sector in Africa”, adding that there could not be a more suitable Centre of Excellence in Electricity in the West African sub region than NAPTIN.

The signing of the MOU will make NAPTIN, which is the only Certified Power Training Institute in the West African Sub-Region, a professional rallying point for capacity development on power utilities in Africa and further support the revenue generation drive of the Federal Government through Foreign Direct Investment, (FDI).

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company(NDPHC) and the Edo State Government are set to seal a partnership deal on bulk power supply to boost industrial activities in the State.

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, who made the disclosure recently while playing host to the management team of the NDPHC during a business visit to him in Benin, said his administration would utilize the power plants in the state tomake the Sapele Road Axis an industrial site and an electricity generating corridor expressing optimism that about 2,000MW of power could be generated from the power plants in the state in the next few years.

Earlier in his remarks, the Managing Director/CEO of NDPHC, ChieduUgbo, described Edo State as a major stakeholder in power generation adding that the company had planned seeking the state government’s approval for the bulk power supply arrangement.

Expressing delight at Governor Obaseki’s support which, according to him, had opened the way for more opportunities, Ugbo alsodisclosed that the Governor was on the new board to be inaugurated by the Company soon, adding that the visit was to strengthen areas of collaboration.

The Federal Government is set to concession six small hydropower dams in the country through the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, (Power Sector) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

Disclosing this in his office in Abuja, the Acting Director, Renewable and Rural Power Access of the Ministry, Engr. Farouk Yusuf Yabo said the concessioningwas pursuant to the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, 2005 and consistent with the Energy Vision, (EV) 302030 which sets the target of 30GW of power generation comprising an Energy Mix of 30 per cent electricity from renewable energy sources by Year 2030.

The Acting Director, who said all qualified bidders would receive Request for Proposals (RFPs) beginning on 14th August, 2017, added that the projects were expected to reach financial close before December, 2017 while they would also contribute a total of 16.3MW in the areas of embedded and off-grid connections.

Hon Minister of Power Works Housing and Keynote Speaker Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN right Principal Partner GEPLAW Mr George Etomi midle shortly after the Etomi Leadership Conference 2018 with the theme If Not Us Who If Not Now When at the Grand Junction Room Landmark Towers Water Corporation Rd Victoria Island Lagos on Friday 28th December 2018

FASHOLA HASSAN HOST PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

Hon Minister of Power Works Housing Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN right Permanent Secretary PowerEngr Louis Edozien2nd left President Manufacturers Association of NigeriaMAN Dr Frank Jacobs 2nd right and Vice President MAN Engr Ibrahim Usmanleft in a group photograph shortly after a courtesy visit to the Hon Ministers to discuss issues relating to Infrastructure and Made in Nigeria products at the Ministry of Power Works Housing Headquarters Mabushi Abuja on Monday 25th September 2017